The Dream Chronicles: Yume and the Sand Shinobi
by L Lawliet 4ever
Summary: Yume has the power to enter the world of whoever she dreams of. The world of Naruto and angry Gaaras, of course! Nine years after her first trip to Suna, she returns in hopes of saving everyone's favorite sulky ninja!Discontinued until further notice.
1. No School Today

**Skipper: Ello, peeps! This Naruto fanfic is part of the series Yume Nendaiki: Dream Chronicles, in English. It's a series of three books focusing on three different OCs and their special power. I'm thinking on doing a Death Note one, but I don't know about the last book. Ideas welcome! I was inspired to write a GaaraxOC because of Author Sama PWNS j00's fanfic Shadow of the Day. I don't want to give away much, but I'll introduce the main characters.**

**Skipper: First, there's Subaku no Gaara.**

**Gaara: …Why do I have to be in this idiotic fanfiction? Take me out or I'll kill you.**

**Skipper: No!! Then one of the main characters will be missing. Eek! *dodges sand* Anyway, the OC I've crea-**

**??: Yo, Skipper. I got your message. Whaddya want?**

**Skipper: Yume! You messed up your own introduction!**

**Yume: So-ree. Geez.**

**Skipper: And the last main character in this fanfic is Kabuto Yakushi…Kabuto?!**

**Kabuto: Hello.**

**Skipper: What took you so long to get here??**

**Kabuto: I've been here, I just wanted to make sure that you were *glances in Yume's direction* finished talking.**

**Skipper: Oh, er..**

**Yume: Suck up!! Ski-pper!! You never said he was going to be in this!!**

**Skipper: Well, he doesn't come in until the middle. Oh, and to all the readers: NO KABUTO BASHING!!!**

**Gaara:…He betrayed Suna…I want to kill him…**

**Skipper: No Kabuto killing!! Gosh, this is going to be a long fanfic…**

**Yume: Skipper doesn't own Naruto, only me, unfortunately, and the plot.**

**Skipper: Let's begin!**

_Kabutoxloverxkabutoxloverxkabutoxloverxkabutoxloverxkabutoxloverxkabutoxlover_

Yume Ryoko quietly slipped down the stairs to her kitchen. As she entered, her parents looked up. But her gaze remained firmly planted on the floor, as usual. _Because here comes the comments, as usual._

"Jidai, you're looking tired again."

Yume flinched as her mother used her original name. In Japanese it meant 'time', but Yume created another name that fit her..um, _abilities. _So far she had managed to have everyone at school call her Yume, but it was a no-go situation with her parents.

"I know, mother. I was up late studying." A lie, of course. She had been up watching reruns of Naruto. What else? Were her parents really that stupid? Question answered.

"I'm getting worried about you young lady." Yume's father peered at her from over his newspaper. "You haven't been getting enough sleep. You're starting to get very unattractive bags under your eyes." He took a long drink of coffee, surveying Yume from the rim of the mug.

Saying that Yume wasn't getting enough sleep was an understatement. She hadn't slept in nine years. Not that her parents knew that. Or anyone else, for that matter. And that was how she liked it.

Yet she responded, as she had been doing for the last eight years, "Yes, father. " Her face was blank, but inside she was laughing. The last thing she cared about was how attractive she looked. Not to say she wasn't interested in boys, just that she didn't really care about her appearance.

"I'm off for school," Yume said as she picked up her backpack. As usual, her parent's didn't respond. Nothing new. Bunch of stiffs.

Yume slipped swiftly out the door, black hair swishing in the wind outside. She allowed herself a moment to enjoy the breeze, then continued walking to the bus stop.

"Father's right…I have been becoming abnormally tired nowadays…Not that I haven't been tired before," She chuckled to herself. Her thoughts drifted to the show Naruto.

Yume chuckled again. It was a habit. There in Japan, the show was in the middle of Gaara's kidnapping, while America's episodes were still back in the Forest of Death. But no, thinking about the show wasn't good either. It would bring up memories of Gaara.

Her thoughts became scattered, however, as she was pushed from behind. Yume stumbled, then regained her balance. She turned around to face her assaulter. Or in this case, assaulters.

Three girls stood with their arms crossed, smirks on their faces. They were Mary, Avril, and Shujin; the popular threesome of Tokio High. The leader Avril, the perfect version of a Japanese teenager, decked out in pink and white, stepped forward.

"Hey loser. Don't you know in summer you're not supposed to wear long sleeves?"

Yume was, in fact, wearing long sleeves. A black long-sleeved shirt, black jeans, and black biker boots. Summer had already started, and even though school was almost out, Yume wore the same thing every day. She rolled her eyes. Avril knew this. She didn't, however, know the reason why.

"Hey baka. Don't you know your head from your ass?" A non-chalant Yume smirked.

"Why you little bitch!" Shujin growled at Yume.

Avril went to slap Yume, but the sleep-less girl knocked the hand aside effortlessly.

"I am so gonna-" Avril was cut off and Yume's fist jumped up and connected with the snotty girl's nose. Blood spurted out like a fountain.

"I.._don't _think I'll be going to school today," Yume muttered as Shujin and Mary advanced towards her.

Taking advantage of the situation, Yume turned and ran. Past her house, across the city streets. She knew it was considered cowardly to hit and run, but she had been suspended twice already for fighting, and the last thing she was going to do was go to school and risk Avril and the snobettes filing charges, even if it was done outside school property. _Pft. Not like getting suspended does anything, except give me a break from school. _

Stopping for a moment to take in her surroundings, Yume took off in the direction of a building of run-down apartments. Finding the emergency ladder, she climbed it up onto the roof. Walking over to the edge, she watched the cars drive by below. The wind blew steadily, playing with her hair and blowing around the dead leaves that had gathered in the corners of the roof. The red ones reminded her of Gaara...

_Oh what the heck? Thinking about can't hurt...._

Closing her eyes, Yume willed the memories that she had kept locked away for nine years, to re-surface.

_A little red-headed boy, swinging on a swing...._

_-_

**A/N: Ah, good 'ol cliff hangers! Don't worry, I'll have a few more chaps up today. RxR!**

**Yume: You better have a few more chapters up! That was the shortest chapter I've ever read!**

**Skipper: Oh, was not!!**

**Yume: Maybe not, but still! The first chapter is supposed to be long and pull readers in!**

**Skipper: Oh, and I didn't do that?**

**Yume: No.**

**Skipper: OMFG You OCs really pi-**

**Yume: *covers Skipper's mouth* Shut it.**

**Skipper: *silently fumes* Review and prove Yume wrong!**


	2. Memories

**A/N: This chapter is one huge flashback, so you'll find out a bit more about Yume and her…**_**situation.**_

**Yume: Whoope.**

**Skipper: Sound a little more enthused, will ya?**

**Yume: Yippee.**

**Skipper: You're impossible!**

**Yume: Can we just start already??**

**Skipper: (Geez. Not getting any sleep for nine years straight really makes a person crabby.) Fine!**

Kabutoxloverxkabutoxloverxkabutoxloverxkabutoxloverxkabutoxloverxkabutoxlover

_A little girl played at a small park. Sand was everywhere, and the dessert sun shone fiercely. The girl was sitting in a small playhouse. A handful of kids played soccer, while a lone boy sat on a swing. The little girl watched the soccer game. After awhile, the ball became stuck on a high ledge. _

"_Oh, man!"_

_One kid looked at the other and asked, "I don't know nay wall-climbing jutsu, do you?"_

"…_No."_

_Then to everyone's amazement, including the little girl's, the ball floated down from the ledge on a cloud of sand. The little girl watched intently as the sand disintegrated, dropping the ball into a pair of hands. The hands belonged to the redhead on the swings. He walked over to the other children, and held out the ball._

"_It's G-Gaara!" One boy said, terrified. _

"_He's scary!" The children inched back. _

_The ball dropped from Gaara's hands. His face took on a hurt, crushed expression as the children started to run away. Gaara reached out a hand, as if to pull them back. _

"_Wait!" He called. "Don't go away!"_

_Sand lunged at the terrified children._

"_Help!!" A boy wailed as the sand slammed him to the ground. _

_The little girl watched, horrified, as emotions flickered across Gaara's face. _

"_Aaaah!!" A voice in pain called out as the sand snapped his leg. _

_One of the girls who had been playing soccer was slammed to the ground by the threatening, demonic sand. _

_The last child's eyes widened in fear and panic as the sand dived at him, meaning to strike a killing blow. _

_The little girl from the playhouse blinked in amazement as a young man appeared in front of the boy, shielding him from the sand. The man gritted his teeth as the sand made a wound on the side of his forehead and a long gash on his forearm. _

"_Lord Gaara, please calm yourself!"_

_Gaara's face wore a look of shock and surprise. In that instant, the sand aborted it's deadly attack. The man's sad violet eyes looked at Gaara from underneath brown hair that was bleached blonde from the dessert sun. Gaara looked down, shame and sadness reflected on his young face._

__-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

_Later that night, the little girl wandered the streets of Suna. She was tired and hungry, and most of all, scared. She just wanted to go home, but this village didn't look like anywhere she had lived before._

_Sitting down against the side of a building, she hugged her knees to her chest in a defensive posistion, and watched the scene infron of her. There were some people walking about, but not many, for it was dusk. But then someone caught her eye._

_The little boy from the park, Gaara, was jogging along with a paper bag. He held a joyful expression on his face, unlike the one from earlier that day. Since the girl had nothing else to do, she stood up and trailed unseen behind him a few meters back. _

_Gaara went up to a house and knocked on the door. It creaked open, and one of the boys that had been caught in Gaara's sand, peered out._

_Gaara gave a tentative smile. "I'm sorry about earlier...it must've hurt...Here's some wound ointment, please take-"_

_"Go home, monster!" Snarled the boy, and the door closed._

_The Kazekage's son was in plain shock, as was the little girl. Eyes downcast, Gaara headed home, the unknown girl tagging along behind._

_As he walked down the street, a drunken man with a bottle of alchohal stumbled into him. _

_"Hey, watch where you're going, br..." Then he saw Gaara's face, and started. "Unh, you're..."_

_The little girl couldn't see anything except the sand wrapping itself around the drunken man. There was a blood-curtling scream, and the bottle of rum smashed all over the ground. _

_Three shinobi came running. _

_"Wh...what happened?!"_

_"I..it was Gaara!"_

_"H..hey, he...he's dead!"_

_Gaara walked past his father, leaning against a pillar of sand. The Kazekage looked at his creatiion dissaprovingly, and the little boy flinched._

_Watching in amazement, the little girl gasped as a platform of sand lifted Gaara on to a building's roof, where he sat on the edge. _

_'How am I supposed to climb up there?' She pondered. Then she remembered a certain jutsu. Gathering up a large amount of chakra under her feet, she took off at a run up the side of the building. She was able to run up about seven steps, when she exerted too much chakra, and tumbled back down to the ground. _

_Bruised and battered, she tried once more. She finally made it to the top, but at the last moment her foot slipped out from under her. The little girl's fingers wrapped around the edge of the building, and heaved herself up and over. _

_Suprisingly, Gaara hadn't taken notice of her. She walked around to where the young boy was sitting, and took a seat next to him. "Hello Gaara."_

_Gaara flinched and looked at her in sudden suprise. "Who are you?"_

_"You're the boy from the park, aren't you? Gaara, right?" She was avoidinghis question on purpose._

_He nodded. "Why...why are you talking to me?"_

_'He's afraid I'm going to be mean to him,' the girl thought. "I like you. Let's be friends." She flashed him a smile._

_Hope lit up in Gaara's face. "R-really?"_

_"Uh-huh." She nodded._

_The joyful look on the little redhead's face reappeared. "I've never had a friend...other than Yashamaru."_

_"Well, now you do. You looked really sad a few minutes ago, like you needed a hug."_

_"A...hug?" Confusion swept across his face._

_Incredolous, she asked, "You've never had a hug before?" When he shook his head, she said, "Here, then."_

_And before Gaara could object, the little girl wrapped her arms around him. She felt him stiffin, then gradually relax. His arms came around her midsection, and he burried his face in her dark hair. After a moment, the girl released him and took a step back._

_"Whaddya think? Good?"_

_Shyly, Gaara looked down. "Yes, yes it was. Thank you."_

_The girl then took his hand and led him to sit back down on the ledge. "Those boys at the park were mean, huh?"_

_Gaara looked up at her in horror. "You...you were....you...saw?" He finally managed to choke out. _

_She nodded. "I was in the small playhouse."_

_Gaara looked down sadly. "If you...if you saw, why are you even near me?"_

_"Because it's not your fault." She put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "They were being mean to you. And whatever you did with the sand was really cool. How old are you anyway?"_

_The boy looked a little better. "Six. What about you?"_

_"I'm five." She smiled at him. "You're the older friend, then."_

_Gaara's face visibly brightened at the mention of having a friend. "You seem a lot older than five."_

_She laughed. "Thanks."_

_They just talked for awhile after that. The girl finally admitted her name, and described her home to him._

_"Cars? Wow, I wish-" He was cut off as a wall of sand sheilded him from a rain of kunai. The girl cried out in terror and frantically clutched Gaara's arm._

_"Huh?!" Gaara turned and saw a masked shinobi throwing kunai at him. He made a movement with his hand, and sand wrapped around the mysterious attacker. Gaara closed his fist, and the sand clutched the attacker's body. The little girl could hear his bones break and snap. He slid to the ground. _

_Nervously, Gaara edged towards the fallen shinobi, his newfound friend behind him. Hand shaking, her pulled the assaulter's mask off._

_"You are truly impressive...Lord Gaara." It was Yashamaru. Gaara clawed at the place where his heart was. _

_"Aaaaargh!" He screamed. _

_The little girl looked on in horrification as the man told Gaara that his own father gave the orders for the young boy's death, the truth behind Gaara's name, and that he truly, deeply hated Gaara. Said-child's face was smeared with over-flowing tears._

_Yashamaru revealed the paper bombs under his vest. "And now, please die with me."_

_The girl covered her head with her hands as an explosion errupted on the roof of the building. After several moments, she opened her eyes to see a dome of sand protecting herself and Gaara. He was on his knees._

_Suddenly, the dark-haired girl felt her legs become numb. She looked down._

_"G-Gaara!!!" There was an edge of hysteria to her voice._

_He slowly looked at her, as if realizing she was there for the first time. He, too, gaped in astonishment at her legs._

_From her feet up, the girl was slowly starting to fade. First her feet, then her knees._

_"Gaara, what's happening to me? Help!!" She shouted, clearly distressed. (A/N: you'd be distressed too, if your body was dissapearing!)_

_"N-NO! You can't leave!!" Gaara shouted. He ran over to her. He was starting to panic; the day's events were taking their toll._

_"Gaara!" She clasped his hands, intertwining their fingers. Now tears were rolling down her cheeks as well. "I don't want to go!" She was confused and scared. Now her stomach was dissapearing. _

_She looked into Gaara's teal eyes, finding confusion, sadness, desperation, and fright. 'I can't leave. He needs me!'_

_But now her arms were dissapearing and then her neck. Gaara's teal orbs stayed in her mind as she faintly heard his scream._

_"JIDAI!!!!"_

**A/N: And that's it! Sorry for the cliffy, but the next chapter will also be posted today, so don't fret. There's the story behind Yume's 'gift'. What made her leave Gaara? Here in the real world, she woke up. It'll be explained a bit furthur in the next chapter.**

**Yume: You just had to put my personal history in this, didn't cha?**

**Skipper: For the readers to understand you and your power, yes. Plus, background is always needed.**

**Yume: Ah, background, smhackground. I hope the next chapter will be better.**

**Skipper: Hope she didn't set her hopes too high...**

**Yume: What was that?**

**Skipper: Nothing, nothing! RxR, please!**


	3. Going Back

**Skipper: See, I told you I'd post another chapter. Unfortunatly, it's very short. Sorry!**

**Yume: Another half-a** effort from L Lawliet 4ever. I bet you work on your Precious fanfic more than you do mine. That stupid Kairi twit.**

**Skipper: Hey! You two usually get along great!**

**Yume: Missing the point.**

**Skipper: Ok, maybe i do...that one has like, 16 chapters, though! I've only written four for this one so far(and I rarely update Precious.)**

**Yume: Ok, you half-a** everything, then.**

**Skipper: Not everything! Just dishes, lawnwork, updating, homework, any work period...**

**Yume: My point exactly. Lazy, lazy, lazy.**

**Skipper: You're one to talk! Your power requires you to GO TO SLEEP!**

**Yume: And who wrote it that way?**

**Skipper: Umm..well...**

**Yume: Again, my point exactly.**

**Skipper: Oh, let's just get to the fic!**

kabutoxloverxkabutoxloverxkabutoxloverxkabutoxloverxkabutoxlover

Yume had been five at the time. The last thing she had thought of before going to sleep was Gaara, and she had been transported to the Naruto world. In the real world, she had just appeared to be sleeping, but when she awoke the next day after her trip, she found several small bruises from where she had fallen off the side of the building. But being so young at the time, she had been terrified after, because of all the violence and killing. In result, she never slept again, and was cursed with terrible bags nine years later. Since she hadn't slept since that incident, she hadn't been able to fully experiment with the power. Yume only had a theory that the last thing she thought of before going to sleep, she would be taken to where that thing or person was.

Yume sighed. She missed Gaara terribly, but she couldn't risk sleeping. Who knew what would happen the next time she went back?

Trudging home, Yume came up with a plan. Her parents should be at work, but just in case they weren't, she'd lie and say she got sick at school. Easy enough.

Slipping quietly inside her house through the backdoor, she looked around. The coast was clear. Sneaking upstairs, Yume switched on her television set and pulled a box of Thin Mint cookies from her jean drawer.

"He he he. While everyone else is taking a Geometry test, I can finally catch a Naruto episode." Naruto came on when she was at school, so the raven-haired girl usually had to watch it online. Not today. Popping a cookie in her mouth, Yume smiled and leaned back into her pillows.

-Half an hour later-

"No!!!! Fuck you stupid TV people!!!" Yume switched off the television with a click, and threw the remote across the room.

Gaara had died. They, the Akatski, had sucked Shukaku out of him, and now he was dead. Dead! Gone! Destroyed! Yume was utterly fuming. That couldn't happen! Wasn't there a way to-

_'Wait. I could...no, forget it!' _What was she thinking? She couldn't go back; that'd be insane! But this was _Gaara._ What if she appeared up in the time before Gaara had been abducted? What if there was a chance...a slight, small chance that....

She would never know until she tried.

"God, I must be crazy. He'd better thank me for this..." Lying down on her bed, she closed her eyes. Time for sleep. Huh. Easier said than done.

Yume ended up lying there for an hour and a half. Then finally, with a picture of a lonely redheaded boy in her mind, she drifted off, his name a whisper on her lips.

_"Gaara...."_

**Skipper: Sorry...I told you it would be short!**

**Yume: I've looked over Skipper's next chapter. It's worth reading through all these sucky chapters. Although, even after I return to Suna, Gaara is a complete ASS to m-**

**Skipper: *covers Yume's mouth* Now, now. You don't want to spoil anything, do you?**

**Yume: Mmmph..smsmgm...ckck...**

**Skipper: Yume says yes Skipper-sama! Please tune in next time!**

**Yume: (What's really bad is that these A/Ns are longer than the actual chapter!)**


	4. Not the Warm Welcome She Was Hoping For

**Skipper: Ok, this chapter is probably my favourite so far.**

**Yume: That's not saying much, considering you've only written one other chapter than this one.**

**Skipper: Oh, stop butting in! I would like to give a shout-out to CANARYwolf for all her awesome reviews! **

**Yume: Oh yeah, speaking of her…So I gave stuff away. Don't mean I'm stupid. **

**Skipper: Actually, the correct grammar is 'doesn't' mean you're stupid. *cough, cough***

**Yume: Shut up! Besides, I'm helping you. Now she wants to read this chapter even more. I want an apology!**

**Skipper: YUME! Shut. Up! You are going to make my favorite reviewer pissed off!**

**Yume: *mumbles* Serves her right for calling me stupid…**

**Skipper: YUME!!!! Ugh…*turns red in embarrassment* Don't mind her, she's just mad about what happens in this chapter. You have no reason to apologize!**

**Yume: ….**

**Skipper: Umm, on with the chap??**

_Kabutoxloverxkabutoxloverxkabutoxloverxkabutoxloverxkabutoxloverxkabutoxlover_

Yume was hovering in a 'dream bubble' a few feet from the ground. There was a desert before her, scalding hot, and in the distance she could see the gates to Suna. Realizing her bubble, she looked down.

'Ech! I don't have any clothes on! Weird…this didn't happen last time."

_Now what do I do? Maybe I can imagine clothes…And if I can't?_ She shook her head. _Then I'm in deep shit. _

Taking a breath, Yume closed her eyes, and clearly pictured herself in an outfit. After several moments, she opened her eyes and looked at herself again. She was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt overlapped by a purple tube-top, very short, risque' black shorts that showed off her tight ass, light purple leg warmers, black fingerless gloves, and traditional black ninja sandals. _I'd prefer chunky, black, knee-high boots, but I don't want to stand out __**too**__ much. Oops! Forgot my essential item!_

Another image later, and Yume held a black ninja headband with the Sand insignia in her hands. Tying it around her neck, she slashed a hole in her dream bubble, and jumped to the ground.

_Wow, I feel really light!_

With that thought still fresh in her mind, Yume took off full speed towards the gates of Suna.

"Holy crap! Damn, I'm fast! It's like flying!" She yelled in pure glee.

Arriving a few feet from the gate, she stopped and caught her breath. Feeling eyes on her, she looked up to see two sentries watching her.

"Hello," she greeted them as she approached them. "I'm back from a mission in, uh, the…Land of Cloud!" Yume stood so the sunlight glanced off the headband around her neck, trying to draw the sentry's attention to proof that she was a Suna resident.

"I wasn't aware that we received any missions from Cloud." The first sentry frowned, crossing his arms. He glanced at his partner.

"Nor I."

Yume bit her lip, trying to think of an excuse. " Um, it was…a…secret mission assigned to me by Gaa- I mean, the Kazekage, himself. Had to do with…um, treaties, and an alliance."

"I believe it," The first sentry nodded. "Ever since his father died, that kid's been changing everything."

"Go on ahead." The second sentry opened the gate and nodded at her.

"Thanks," Yume called over her shoulder as she entered, and gave them a small parting wave. _Haha, suckers!_

Once safely inside, Yume stopped to think. Where exactly was the Kazekage's office? It never showed where exactly in the anime; or if it did, Yume didn't remember.

In the end she decided to walk along the village's main street. Soon, people were bustling around her, walking from shop to shop, and browsing trinkets from the vendors on the street. Yume desperately looked around for something familiar, in vain. After several minutes later, she was ready to call it quits, when someone familiar caught her eye.

Temari was across the street, looking at several necklaces that were being sold by a local vendor. Yume felt a thrill of success flood her, and sped over.

"Hey, Temari, where's your brother?"

Temari looked up at her, not recognizing Yume. "Kankuro? He's at the bar trying to score lo-"

"No, not him!" Yume shook her head impatiently. "I could really care less about him at the moment. I mean Gaara."

Now full blown confusion swept across the older girl's face. Not many people wanted to find Gaara, let alone this eagerly. "Uh, he's at his office doing paperwork. Over that way." Temari pointed. "I'd wait, though. Paperwork puts him in a bad m-"

"Thanks, Temari!" Yume called as she sped off in the direction of Gaara's office.

Upon arriving at the building at record time, after several minutes of walking around, Yume was utterly lost.

"Top floor, last door on your right." A shinobi told her.

With a nod, Yume sped off again. She was growing more excited by the moment. She was going to see Gaara again! _Again!_ Not to mention that, but it looked like the Akatski hadn't made a move yet. _Which is great!_ Yume thought with a silent cheer.

Finding the door, the over-eager kunouichi knocked.

"Come in," Called a smooth, whispery voice.

Forcing her excited smile down, Yume quietly slipped in through the door.

He was at a desk, writing, head down. His hair was bloodred, and longer now, shaggy almost, the back reaching his shoulders. Several locks of hair fell in his face, framing beautiful cyran orbs. His eyes were always Yume's favorite of his features, aside from his hair. Even now, she had to contain her desire of running her fingers through that long silky hair.

"It's been years, Gaara. I've missed you."

At the sound of her voice, his head jerked up. For a moment, as if someone had pressed 'pause', they simply stared at each other. Then Yume felt herself being slammed against the office wall, pinned by sand.

She looked up to see Gaara standing a few feet from her. His eyes were narrowed, yet filled with rage. He was shaking.

"Now, now, Gaara." She choked out. "This isn't very nice." Slowly, the sand was crushing Yume, and at the same time tightening around her throat. _Not good._

Holding up her right index finger, Yume conjured up a blackish-purple ball filled with cackling chakra. With a flick of her wrist, she sent it speeding towards Gaara. Said boy's sand was two slow, and the attack hit him in the side. Grimacing with pain, the sand slithered off Yume. Taking advantage of the situation, she jumped to the other side of the room.

"That wasn't exactly the warm welcome I had in mind…" Yume frowned.

Gaara glared at her. She could feel his bloodlust, and jumped out of the way of a funnel of sand just in time. It went on like that for quite some time, a bizarre dance of death, Yume and Gaara snapping at each other.

"At this rate, we're going to destroy your office," She commented after dodging another sand spear.

"Shut up!" Gaara snarled as he aimed more sand at the girl.

"What." Leap. "Is." Dodge. "Your." Duck. "Problem?!"

"You left me!!" The Kazekage roared. "My first friend, and you LEFT me!! At the time when I was most alone!"

"Do you think I had a choice?!" Yume screamed back, firing balls of dark chakra at Gaara. "Do you think it's something I can control?"

This caused Gaara to stop his assault. He gazed at Yume with anger and betrayl written across his face. "You…never…came…back." He whispered in a dangerously low tone.

"I was scared, okay? I was scared!"

"Scared?"

"Yes!" She yelled. "I was only five!! Your world was frightening. Everything that happened that day, at the park, Yashamaru, _the drunk man you killed._ I was scared, Gaara." Her tone softened. "There was just so much killing, so much hate. I had just wanted to go home." Yume looked at Gaara. "I went to sleep. That's all that I did, and I ended up here. And now I'm back."

"But how?" Gaara whispered. "Why?"

Yume looked him in the eye. "I went to sleep Gaara. For the first time in nine years, I slept. Yes, that's right. After that day so long ago, I haven't gone to sleep in nine years, unitl about two hours ago."

Gaara's head felt like it was spinning. Then he saw Yume's eyes for the first time. They were his eyes. They had the same black circles. Because of him.

"I didn't know what happened that day," she continued. "But I was confused and frightened. And I didn't come back. And…I'm sorry."

A long, thick silence followed Yume's apology. Gaara didn't speak, nor did he look at her; his eyes were closed. Yume took a moment to inspect the damage done to his office. There were several holes in the walls, his desk was in splinters, and papers loitered the ground.

"Why?"

Gaara sudden question startled Yume out of her observations. She looked at him and asked him to repeat the question.

"Why? Why…did you come back?"

Yume bit her lip and shrugged uncomfortably. "Because I…I missed you, and I don't-" She abruptly closed her mouth. She had been about to say 'and I don't want the Akatski to kill you.' But she couldn't say that. Gaara barely understood about her 'powers' as it was.

The silence was longer and deeper this time; you could cut the tension with a knife. There the two stood, not looking at each other. Yume was a bit baffled. Her happy reunion was not going as planned. Fortunatley, they were both saved from the unbearable awkward-ness.

Temari and Kankuro burst into the room. Temari's face wore a worried expression, and Kankuro was in plain shock at the mess in the office. Or what used to be an office. Temari spotted Yume.

"You're that…that girl who asked for directions." Her face was pulled into a frown.

"What the hell happened in here?" Kankuro cried. "Gaara?"

Neither one of them said anything. Then, quietly as always, Yume slipped past Kankuro and Temari, and out the door, feeling Gaara's eyes on her as she did.

**Skipper: Well…That didn't go quite as planned.**

**Yume: Ya think??**

**Skipper: You're lucky you even made it past the gate!**

**Yume: Yeah, but I'm a good liar, so yeah.**

**Skipper: Oh yeah?**

**Yume: Yeah, like how I've been telling you you're smart.**

**Skipper: *anime fall***

**Yume: ...I still want my apology...**

**Skipper: *from the ground* No apology!!!**


End file.
